For the past few years, I have been thinking about how to explore emotions with my contemporary quilts. One of my latest quilts is called Grief.
A year before the Covid event, my best friend and my younger brother both passed away unexpectedly within a year of each other. It was tough, even though life must go on, there is a hurt that you carry around inside. I decided to make a quilt about this sad subject. Don't get me wrong, I am not depressed or anything, in fact, I think I am the opposite, I am usually pretty upbeat and positive.
I chose fabrics in various greyed blues that I thought would represent the subject. I started to make this quilt last year when we were in lockdown. Luckily, there is a quilt shop within 5k of my home so I was able to order on-line and go and collect it. Once you have an idea for a quilt you don't want to wait three weeks for the delivery of the fabrics.
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| Fabrics for quilts |
I decided to try and make the fabrics change from darkest at the bottom and gradually get lighter towards the top to represent feeling better as time went on.
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| Fabric gradations |
I thought about the people that I was missing a lot while I was making the quilt and it was quite therapeutic. I really believe it helped me accept that they were gone and I could move on and be glad that they had been in my life.
Here is the finished quilt.
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| Grief ©2021 Linda Steele |
My artist statement for the quilt was
'Grief cracks us open: eventually we reshape and re-emerge but we are different than before. We will never be the same, life is different now. With time we will become more compassionate, more human and more patient than before'
Here is a detail photo.
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| Grief detail |
I entered this quilt into the SAQA Connections exhibition and was absolutely thrilled that it was accepted. SAQA is a top international art quilt group and I was very honoured to be chosen and be amongst some very prestigious company. The exhibition will premiere at Houston in November.
Bye for now,
Linda
6 comments:
I like this on several different levels! The subject matter itself - the colours, and the fact that it served as a form of therapy to work through feelings of grief. And then - add to that the wonderful feeling of movement with the swirls. I like this one Linda!
Thanks Magpie Mumblings, it can be a bit confronting and not a pretty quilt, so I appreciate your support.
Linda, this piece is outstanding!!!! I love the flow of it and your quilting really finishes the piece. Just beautiful!!!!
Thank you Robbie, I was absolutely thrilled that it was accepted for a SAQA exhibition, the first time that I have been accepted for a global exhibition of theirs.
Well done Linda, and sounds like the perfect therapy, when life gives you scraps, make a quilt!
Thank you Jude, so true, I think all artists have found that creative pursuits help us through difficult times
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